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White-footed ant (Technomyrmex albipes)

This introduced ant is recorded in Australia and can form very large colonies, making infestations difficult to control. It can invade buildings and protect sap-sucking insects that damage plants and contribute to plant disease.

Key facts

Type: Pest animal, invertebrate.

Native to: Indo-Pacific.

Established in: QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA, WA.

Other names: White-footed house ant, Ashijiro-hirafushi-ari.

Identification

  • Small ants, about 2–4 mm long, with dark bodies and pale or whitish legs.
  • Workers have 12-segmented antennae, a flattened petiolar node and mandibles with 10 teeth.
  • Workers raise their abdomen while moving.
  • Foragers commonly follow straight lines along edges and structures.
  • Look-alike: Similar species include the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), Paratrechina bourbonica and Technomyrmex difficilis.

Where it lives

In Australia, it may occupy dry, above-ground nests in trees, bushes, mulch, leaf litter and rotting logs, and nest indoors in wall cavities or attics while foraging for food and water.

Why it matters

  • It can become a household pest, foraging in kitchens, bathrooms and around building exteriors.
  • Ants can gather inside light switches and cause them to fail after repeated contact.
  • By protecting aphids, mealybugs and scale insects, it can contribute to plant nutrient loss and disease associated with honeydew residues.
  • It has been associated with pineapple wilt disease, red scale outbreaks in citrus orchards and fungal pod rot of cocoa.

How it spreads

  • It has been intercepted at ports, particularly on cut flowers, and is often found on cut flowers and other imported plants.
  • Colonies can expand and bud into multiple nests, sometimes containing millions of ants.

Control methods

  • Trim trees and shrubs around nests and keep vegetation from touching building walls to prevent ants bridging to other vegetation or structures.
  • Chemical control is difficult because poisons are not transferred between workers; baits need to be highly attractive so many ants feed individually.
  • Studies reported effective bait treatments including imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and Terro, but other tested baits and treatments were unsatisfactory or did not differ from controls.
  • Hot-water treatment of soil and potted plants was reported to kill the ants at temperatures of 47°C or higher; water at 49°C or higher was reported to kill more than 95%.

Site hygiene and welfare

  • Inspect cut flowers and imported plants for ants, as the species has been intercepted at ports, particularly with cut flowers.
  • Use methods set out in the national model codes of practice and standard operating procedures for the species.
  • Coordinate control with neighbours and the local government biosecurity plan, as isolated effort is quickly undone by reinvasion.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Restricted matter. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: General biosecurity duty. Not prohibited matter in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Not listed. Not found in the Western Australian Organism List. Check with DPIRD before moving or keeping it.
  • Tasmania: Not a declared pest. Not a declared pest or prohibited matter in Tasmania. Importing animals is still controlled by Biosecurity Tasmania.
  • Northern Territory: Not a declared pest. Not on an NT declared or prohibited list. Check with the NT Government before keeping, moving or releasing it.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources